Top 10 Crowdfunded Games

#10: “Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams” (2012)

Kickstarting our list is the spiritual successor to a 1987 Commodore 64 title, “The Great Giana Sisters,” which was accused of being a rip-off of the original Super Mario Bros. Still, the series had a loyal enough following to garner $150,000 through Kickstarter. The result was this new platformer which see’s Giana shift between two different dream dimension at the press of a button. Doing so changes the theme of the stage, music, and Giana’s attack style, so the visual feast is essentially just a bonus.

#9: “Elite: Dangerous” (2014)

Though this title had three predecessors in its series of space trading and combat simulators, designer David Braben had to turn to Kickstarter to fund a fourth outing. Fans responded, and Braben collected more than £1.25 million to make the game. He used it well, creating a galaxy that with 400 billion star systems. So whether you want to be an intergalactic space trucker, or one of the deadliest mercenaries in the galaxy who ambushes intergalactic space truckers, this game’s for you.

#8: “Shadowrun Returns” (2014)

This Isometric turn-based RPG is based on a classic science fantasy tabletop game, which later saw a videogame release on the SNES and Genesis. After dedicated fans were outraged that the 2007 entry in the series was a multiplayer FPS, Designer Jordan Weisman was able to recover his game’s original license, and, thanks to Kickstarter, raise $1.8 Million to make a brand new game. What he delivered was a love letter to Shadowrun’s tabletop and 16 bit roots with a modern coat of paint.

#7: “The Organ Trail: Director’s Cut” (2014)

The title is pretty much what you’d expect. Actually maybe not, considering it’s a tribute game to The Oregon Trail with Zombies in it, yet we still managed to have fun with this retro-styled survival game. Though the game first came out as a free browser game without needing fan funding, developers The Men Who Wear Many Hats turned to Kickstarter to create this expanded version for Windows, Mac, and Linux. With a mere $16,000 budget, it’s the cheapest game on this list. Which just goes to show: You don’t need a big budget to create something awesome.

#6: “Wasteland 2” (2014)

The first Wasteland game was released waaaaaaay back in 1988 and is widely considered to be among the greatest post-apocalyptic games ever made, but developers inXile still had to go to Kickstarter to get their sequel going. Once they did, they were incredibly successful, raking in $2.9 Million in fan contributions. The money was used to create some of the most complex character management and leveling systems we’ve seen in the PC strategy genre. Though some may argue it’s almost too dense, if it’s an incredibly hardcore strategy game you want, than give Wasteland a try.

#5: “The Banner Saga” (2012)

Sometimes, you need to be idiosyncratic in order to grab the internet’s attention on Kickstarter, and this Viking-themed tactical RPG certainly does that. It has beautiful hand-drawn artwork in the vein of ‘60s Disney cartoons, an emotional story where your actions feel like they have deep consequences, and intense turn-based combat. The developers started on the project after their work on Bioware’s MMORPG “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” and they solicited over $700,000 in donations.

#4: “Broken Age” (2014)

We’d expect nothing less than the finest storytelling video games have to offer from legendary developer Tim Schafer, and that’s exactly what he gave us in this point and click adventure. Originally known as “Double Fine Adventure,” the project garnered nearly $3.5 million on Kickstarter, making it one of the most successful crowdfunded initiatives of any type. It tells the story of 2 teenagers Shay a cosmonaut on a ship that houses various infant creatures, and Vella who is determined to escape her fate as a sacrificial lamb. The 2 stories can be swapped at any time, allowing you plenty of time to get to know both characters stories really well.

#3: “Divinity: Original Sin” (2014)

Next up on our list is a title that’s not just one of the great crowfunded games, but one of the best old-school RPGs released in recent years. Developers Larian Studios raised over $1 million dollars on Kickstarter, and they rewarded their financiers with 60 hours of nostalgia-inducing, classic turn-based combat. A clever 2 character system, quirky humor blends and punishing combat all blend to create an experience that is as rewarding as it is addictive.

#2: “FTL: Faster Than Light” (2012)

Here’s yet another title that breathed new life into a dying genre. This time, it’s the rogue-like, now transplanted beautifully into a sci fi setting. You control a spaceship belonging to the Galactic Federation, and you have to make your way across several space sectors to reach its their last fleet while a pursuing rebel force is hot on your tail. It’s an unforgettable, yet very challenging journey as you venture through the unforgiving regions of space. Raising over $200,000 on Kickstarter for the project, it sold enough copies to mark the an expansion, and an iOS port, Making one of the first big Kickstarter success stories.

Before we get to our number one, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions:

“Volgarr the Viking” (2013)

“Octodad: Deadliest Catch” (2014)

“Freedom Planet” (2014)

“République” (2013)

Sir, You Are Being Hunted” (2010)

#1: “Shovel Knight” (2014)

Burying the rest of the competition is this gorgeous tribute to 8-bit games. Its side-scrolling platformer gameplay and 2D visuals might not look like much at first, but its beautiful color scheme, addictive-as-hell gameplay, Top notch level design and catchy chiptune soundtrack make it a joy to play. Citing the greatest elements from 8-bit games like Mega Man, Zelda 2 and Ducktales, Developer Yacht Club Games create something completely ground breaking. Raising over $300,000 on Kickstarter, Yacht Club actually ran out of money months before the game launched, but they pushed ahead to complete the game and released something amazing.

Do you agree with our list? Which crowdfunding campaign did you support? For more successful top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.